Textile bolt splicing apparatus



P- A. TRAY TEXTILE BOLT SPLICING APPARATUS Nov. 12, 1963 Filed Oct. 17. 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ill. l l/ l 'HH I I 74 E L E 6 '7 28 //3 /07 3/ a Ms l 1 "I ll' 4 INVENTOR. I

. PAUL A. TRAY I BY Nov. 12, 1963 P. A. TRAY TEXTILE BOLT SPLICING APPARATUS 5 Sheds-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 17. 1960 nvmvron PAL) A. TRAY wytzw Fl H Nov. 12, 1963 P. A. TRAY 3,110,645

TEXTILE BOLT SPLICING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 17. 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVHVTOR. PAUL A. TRAY United rates 3,110,645 TEXTILE BGLT SPLICING APPARATUS Paul A. Tray, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Central Bag and Burlap Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 63,088 12 Claims. (Cl. 156-502) The present invention relates generally to apparatus for splicing bolts of textile material together and more particularly to an apparatus for adhesively bonding together the lateral ends of a pair of textile bolts to produce a longer bolt having a bonding seam which is not commercially unattractive.

Basically, the subject apparatus comprises means for receiving each of the lateral ends to be spliced, means for trimming the frayed edges of each end, means for applying adhesive to one of the trimmed ends, and means for pressing the trimmed ends together after application of the adhesive to bond one lateral end to the other.

A typical use for an apparatus of this type is in the manufacture of burlap bags, wherein bolts of burlap initially received in relatively short lengths are spliced into a long bolt which is wound into a roll and fed as a continuous strip through a machine which automatically cuts the strip into lengths suitable for forming single bags and imprints repetitive data or designs on each length.

In operations of this type wherein a strip of textile material composed of a number of relatively short textile bolts is cut into a still larger number of pieces of even shorter length it is unavoidable that some of these pieces will contain a splicing seam. If the seam is unattractive in appearance an item made from the piece of material containing this scam is unsalable as first class merchandise and must be disposed of as a second or thrown away.

The subject apparatus splices two bolts of textile material together in such a manner that the resulting seam is not unattractive in appearance. A long bolt made up of a number of shorter bolts spliced together in this manner can then be processed as a continuous strip through an automatic processing machine which ultimately severs the long bolt into a number of short lengths or pieces, without regard to whether the resulting pieces contain splicing seams.

The seam produced by the subject invention is virtually undetectable in the absence of close inspection because the subject apparatus trims the frayed edges of the ends to be spliced and bonds the trimmed edges together with adhesive. There is no ridge or other line of demarcation to indicate where the seam is, as would be the case if the ends were spliced by sewing, and the two ends seemingly merge together along a substantially indistinguishable joint.

The subject apparatus is fully automatic in operation, requiring merely an initial insertion of the ends to be spliced and an ultimate removal of the spliced ends as the only manual steps necessary to supplement the operation of the machine. The trimming, adhesive-dispensing, and bonding steps are performed in sequence fully automatically by the apparatus.

The splicing operation performed automatically by the subject apparatus is equally as fast as a sewing operation, requires considerably less skill on the part of the operator, and as previously indicated, produces a first class product rather than the second which would result from a sewing operation. In manufacturing operations where large numbers of splices are made, such as in the burlap bag operation described above, the rapidity of the splicing operation, the elimination of highly trained machine operators, and, most importantly, the complete elimination of non-salable seconds, results in a very substantial saving of time, material and money.

Another advantage of the subject apparatus is that the resulting seam has a tensile strength greater than that of the textile material itself, a property not obtainable by other splicing methods such as sewing.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for splicing together two bolts of textile material into a longer bolt which apparatus produces a splicing seam which is not unsightly.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus of the type described and which adhesively bonds together the lateral ends of the two bolts.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus of the type described and which operates in a manner that results in substantial savings of textile material and money.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus of the type described and which produces a splicing seam having a tensile strength as great as that of the material being spliced.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus of the type described and which is automatic and rapid in operation and requires no great skill to operate.

Other objects and advantages are inherent in the structure claimed and disclosed or will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed descrip tion in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a rear view of the textile bolt splicing apparatus constituting the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front view of the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional View taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary front view showing parts of the subject apparatus in the positions they occupy just prior to the conclusion of the apparatus cycle of operation;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary rear view showing other parts of the apparatus in the positions they occupy at the conclusion of the trimming step and just prior to the adhesive dispensing step; I

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary rear view of the front trimming knife in the position it occupies at the conclusion of the adhesive dispensing step;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary front view similar to 'FIG. 2, and partially cut away; and

FIGS. 11 to 15 are schematic views illustrating the various steps in the cycle of operation of the subject apparatus. Referring initially to FIGS. 1 to 3, the textile bolt splicing apparatus constituting the present invention is shown to comprises a base place 20 from opposite ends of which an H-shaped pillar 221 and a post 22 extend upwardly. Extending between pillar 21 and post 22 are a rear stationary table or slab 23, a middle invertible tableor slab 24, and a front stationary table or plate 25. Disposed above tables 23, 25 are front and rear trimming knives 26, 27 respectively, and an adhesive dispenser 28, all of which are mounted for back-and-forth reciprocal movement between pillar 21 and post 22. Extending upwardly from invertible middle table 24 are a plurality of stationary mounting pins 29, and extending upwardly from stationary front table or slab 25 are a plurality ofdepressable mounting pins 30. Located above table or slab 25 Patented Nov. 12, 1963 is a heated pressure plate 31 mounted for reciprocal vertical movement.

Referring to FIG. 11, a first belt of textile material 33 is inserted through an elongated slot 32 located between tables 24 and (FIG. 3), laid across tables 24 and 23, and secured in this position by the mounting pins 29 on table 24. In this position the frayed edge portion of bolt 33 should overlap a slot 35 extending the length of table 23 between the latter and a rear edge member 36 (FIGS. 3 and 4). A second bolt of textile material 34 is laid across front table 25 and held in position thereon by the depressable pin (FIG. 6). Front bolt 34 is mounted to that its frayed edge portion overlaps slot 32.

With bolts 33, 34 in the mounted positions described above, a starting button (not shown) is pushed to cause the knives 26, 27 and adhesive dispenser 28 to move from their rest positions adjacent pillar 21 toward post 22. Knives 26, 27 travel in slots 32, respectively along the rear edges of tables 25, 24 respectively, thereby trimming the frayed edge portions 19', 20 of textile bolts 34, 33 respectively (FIG. 12). Thereafter, the knives 26, 27 and dispenser 28 move back from post 22 towards pillar 21, whereupon the dispenser 28 is actuated to dispense adhesive along the trimmed edge of the rear textile bolt 22 (FIG. 13). As the knives and adhesive dispenser approach their rest position adjacent pillar 21, the invertible table 24 is rotated to the partially inverted position shown in FIG. 14, following which heated pressure plate 31 moves downwardly, engaging the inverted edge portion of textile bolt 33 so as to disengage bolt 33 from the pins 29 on table 24, and pressing the adhesive-containing surface of disengaged upper bolt 33 against the trimmed edge portion of lower bolt 34 (FIG. 15 thus bonding the two bolts together. The downward movement of plate 31 also depresses the depressable mounting pins 30 on table 25 to recessed positions, disengaged from bolt 34, in which positions they are held after plate 31 is raised thereby enabling the two bonded bolts to be slipped out through the open end of slot 32 to the left in FIG. 3). In this manner two bolts of textile material are bonded together into a longer bolt of material having a seam which is substantially indistinguishable and commercially not unattractive.

Describing the apparatus now in greater detail, reference is initially made to FIGS. 1 to 4 and 6. The frame of the apparatus, in addition to base plate 20, pillar 21 and post 22, comprises a plate 37 (FIG. 6) constituting the upper termination of post 22, and a lower rear beam 38 extending between plate 37 and pillar 21 and supporting rear table 23 and rear edge member 36. Also extending between plate 37 and pillar 21 are upper rear channels 39, 40, the function of which will be describe subsequently. Cantilevered from pillar 21 is a lower front channel 41 for supporting front table 25. Attached to the bottom of channel 41 is a triangular brace plate 42 having its widest end attached to pillar 21. Also cantilevered from pillar 21 are a pair of upper front channels 43, 44, the function of which will be subsequently described. Attached to the top of channel 44 are a pair of triangular bracing plates 45, 46 having their widest ends attached to pillar 21. Extending between upper front channel 43 and upper rear channel is an end plate 47 integral with plate 37 of post 22 (FIG. 6).

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 4, 6 and 8, mounted on upper rear channel 40' at opposite ends of upper rear channel 39 are an idler sprocket 48 and a housing 49 containing a drive sprocket rotated by a motor 50 mounted adjacent pillar 21. Trained around both sprockets and also around the top and bottom of upper rear channel 39 is a drive chain 5 1 which moves knives 26, 27 and adhesive dispenser 28 back and forth between pillar 21 and post 22, in a manner to be described subsequently.

The trimming knives and adhesive dispenser are assembled for movement as a unit between pillar 21 and post 22, the unitary assembly being best illustrated in FIG. 4. Rear knife 27 and adhesive dispenser 28 are suspended from a horizontally disposed lower plate 53 upwardly from which extends a brace 54 supporting an upper plate 55 on which rests a motor 56 for rotating the disc-like blades of knives 26, 27. Attached to motor 56 by a bracket 112 (-FIG. 2) is a circuit box 57, and driven by motor 56 is an upper shaft 58 mounting a pulley 59 which drives a belt 60 which in turn drives a pulley 61 mounted on a lower shaft 62 which drivingly mounts the disc-shaped blades of knives 26, 27.

Extending through upright brace 54 is a middle shaft 63 having a circular roller 64 and a beveled roller 65 at its front and rear ends respectively. Circular front roller 64 travels along a track defined by the inner surfaces of upper front channel 43. The engagement of roller 64 with front channel 43 prevents the entire moveable assembly from rotating about a horizontal axis. Beveled rear roller 65 travels over a tapered track 66 mounted atop upper rear channel 40. Engagement of beveled roller 65 and track 66 prevents the entire assembly from rotating about a vertical axis. Thus rollers 64, 65 and tracks 43, 66 maintain the entire assembly in proper alignment, relative to the rest of the apparatus.

Referring to FIG. 1, the moveable assembly comprising the knives and adhesive dispenser is shown in a rest position adjacent pillar 21. Referring to FIG. 8, the moveable assembly is driven from its rest position toward post 22 by a block 6'7 on drive chain 51 which block engages a lower block 68 attached to lower plate 53 of the moveable assembly. As the assembly approaches post 22, chain block 67 disengages from lower block 68 and moves around sprocket 48 towards the top run portion of track 51 (dash-dot lines in FIG. 8). The moveable assembly is returned from post 2 2 back to the rest position adjacent pillar 21 by the engagement of chain block 67 with an upper block 69 extending downwardly from upper plate 55 of the moveable assembly.

Adhesive dispenser 23 is normally inactive and remains in that condition while the assembly moves from pillar 21 to post 22. On the return trip from post 22 to pillar 21, the adhesive dispenser 28 is actuated by structure now to be described. Mounted on the moveable assembly below circuit box 57 is a switch 70 (FIG. 8) which, when closed, energizes an electric eye 74 mounted adjacent front trimming knife '26 (FIGS. 2 and 4). Electric eye 74, when energized, will react to the presence of textile bolts mounted in the apparatus by actuating adhesive dispenser 28 to distribute adhesive on the top surface of the rear bolt.

It is desirable to maintain electric eye 74 deenergized during movement of the assembly from pillar 21 to post 22, and it is equally desirable that the electric eye be energized during the return movement of the assembly from post 22 to pillar 21. Accordingly, switch 70 is constructed so that it will not close during the movement of the assembly from pillar 21 to post 22, but will close during the return movement of the assembly.

Extending downwardly from switch 70 is a switch arm comprising upper and lower links 7 1, 72 respectively, and a roller 73 attached to lower link 72. Links 71 and 72 are connected together so that if roller 73 is engaged from the left, as viewed in FIG. 8, the lower link 72 will pivot in a counterclockwise sense about the upper link 71 to the position shown by the dash-dot lines in FIG. 8, in which position switch 7%) is open. On the other hand, if roller 73 is engaged from the right (as viewed in FIG. 8) the entire switch arm, comprising both links 71 and 72, will pivot as a rigid unit in a clockwise sense to the position shown by the dash-double-dot lines in FIG. 8, in which positicn switch 76 is closed. When the moveable assembly moves from the rest position adjacent pillar 21 toward post 22, roller 73 is engaged by a longitudinal cam bar 62 resting atop upper rear channel 39. Engagement of roller 73 with cam bar 62 dur ing movement towards post 22 causes lower link 72 to pivot to the open position shown in the dash-dot lines in FIG. 8. On the other hand, when the assembly returns from post 22 towards pillar 211, roller 73 is engaged from the right by cam 62, thereby causing both links 711, 72 to move as a rigid unit to the switch-closing position shown in the dash-double-dot lines in FIG. 8, thus energizing electric eye 74.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, energized electric eye 74 reacts in response to the reflection of light projected by the electric eye against a surface therebelow. To prevent the electric eye from reacting before it is in alignment with the longitudinal edge of a bolt laid across rear table 23, black tape 75 (FIG. 3) is provided on front table 25 below a portion of the path of electric eye 74 so that the light projected from the electric eye 74 while in this portion of its path will be absorbed by the tape 75, there being no reflection and thus no reaction in the electric eye. The longitudinal edges of the textile bolts lying across tables 25 and 213 respectively are aligned with the inner edge 77 of black tape '75. Electric eye 74 which lies above front table 25 is in alignment with the nozzles 78 of adhesive dispenser 28 which lies above rear table 23-. When electric eye 74 crosses edge 77 during the eyes return trip toward pillar 2-1, the light projected therefrom strikes the bolt of textile material mounted on front table 25 and is reflected, causing a reaction in the electric eye and actuation of the adhesive dispensing circuit. At the same time, adhesive distributing nozzles 78 are crossing the longitudinal edge of the textile bolt mounted on rear table 23.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 8, when electric eye 74 senses the presence of textile material below it, a circuit is completed which energizes a conventional solenoid valve 79 attached to circuit box 57 of the moveable assembly. When solenoid valve 79 is energized, compressed air entering the valve through an inlet conduit 80 is permitted to pass through the valve and out through an outlet conduit 81, to a conventional pneumatic cylinder 82 attached to lower plate 53 of the moveable assembly adjacent adhesive dispenser 28. The compressed air entering pneumatic cylinder 82 pushes against a piston therein (not shown) which causes a piston rod 83 extending between cylinder 82 and adhesive dispenser 23 to move to the left as viewed in FIG. 4, thereby opening a valve (not shown) in dispenser 28 to permit adhesive to enter the dispenser through a conduit 84 attached to an adhesive receptacle 85 (FIG. 1) mounted atop base plate 20. The adhesive within receptacle 85 is maintained under pressure by compressed air entering through a conduit 86. Adhesive is distributed through the nozzles 78 of dispenser '28 until electric eye 74 reaches a point where it no longer overlies the bolt of textile material on front table 25. At this point light projected from the electric eye is absorbed by a second black tape 76 on table 25 (FIG. 3), which absorption prevents the electric eye from reacting, thereby opening the dispensing circuit, and stopping the distribution of adhesive. An adhesive found to be ideal for bonding burlap is a latex adhesive identified as No. 4785 by the manufacturer, I. G. Milligan & Co., 101 South Second Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

At the conclusion of the adhesive-dispensing step, table 24 together with the textile bolt mounted there on is r0- tated to the inverted position shown in FIG. 13 in a manner now to be described.

Referring initially to FIG. 9, as the moving assembly returns to its rest position adjacent pillar 21, a cam portion 91 located at the bottom of front trimming knife 26 and attached to the cover 92 of this knife engages a roller 90 on the arm of a switch 87 closing the switch and actuating apparatus for inverting table 24.

Switch 87 is similar in construction to switch 70 (FIG. 8) described above. That is, the switch arm contains a pair of links 88, 89 connected in such a manner that when the roller 90 is engaged from the right, as viewed in FIG. 9, the upper link 89 pivots in a counterclockwise sense about the lower link 88 to the position shown by the dashdouble-dot lines in FIG. 9, in which position switch 87 is open. This is the position the switch arm assumes when the moving assembly, together with cam 91, moves from the rest position adjacent pillar 21 towards post 22. On the other hand, when roller 90 is engaged from the left, as viewed in FIG. 9, both links 89 and 88 pivot as a rigid unit in a clockwise sense to the position shown by the dash-dot lines in FIG. 9, in which position the switch 87 is closed. This is the'position the switch occupies when engaged by cam 91 as the assembly moves from post 22 back toward pillar 21.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 5, mounted on pillar 21 is a conventional pneumatic cylinder 93. The closing of switch 87 causes air to be introduced into cylinder 93 so as to move a piston therein (not shown) upwardly. Attached to the upwardly moving rod of the piston is a coupling 94 in turn connected to a vertically disposed gear rack 95 which engages a gear 96 fixedly secured to a square shaft 97 journaled between pillar 21 and post 22 (FIG. 3). Gear rack 95 extends upwardly through a horizontally disposed brace plate located between pillar 21 and lower front plate 42. Rack 95 is guided by rollers 98 mounted on pillar 21 (FIG. 5). Shaft 97 is mounted for rotation and supports invertible table 24. Thus, when the piston in cylinder 93 moves upwardly, table 24 is pivoted to the position shown in FIG. 14. The closing of switch 87 also causes air to be introduced into a plurality of tubes 99 extending laterally below table 24. Each tube terminates in a small orifice 128 which directs a jet of air against the overhanging end portion 112 of rear textile bolt 33 (FIG. 14), thereby causing end portion 112 to assume the position shown in FIG. 14 in which it is ideally disposed for engagement by the downwardly moving press plate '31. Plate 31 moves downwardly in response to the inversion of table 24 by virtue of the actuation of structure now to be described.

Referring initially to FIGS. 3 and 4, located below invertible table 24 is a switch 101 attached to rear table 23 by a clip or bracket 106. Extending upwardly from switch 101 is a plunger 102 movable between raised and depressed positions. When plunger 102 is in a raised position the switch is closed, and when the plunger is in a depressed position the switch is open. When inventible table 24 is in its normal uninverted position (FIG. 4), it holds switch plunger 102 in a depressed open position. However, when table 24 is rotated to the inverted position shown in FIG. 14, released plunger 102 is urged upwardly by a spring (not shown) thereby closing switch 101 and energizing apparatus which causes air to be introdue-ed into a pair of pneumatic cylinders 103 (FIGS. 1 and 6) mounted above upper front channel 44 and having piston rods 104 extending downwardly to heated press plate 31.

When switch 101 is closed, air is introduced into cylinders 103 so as to cause the pistons therein (not shown) to move downwardly, thereby moving plate 31 downwardly so as to disengage textile bolt 33 from inverted table 24 and press the disengaged bolt into bonding engagement with bolt 34 on front table 25 (FIG. 15). Piston rods 104 also extend upwardly into a pair of cushioning cylinders 105, the effect of which is to retard the speed of the downward movement of plate 31 so that it does not slam down on front table 25.

As plate 31 presses the two bolts of textile material I removed from the apparatus by sliding them through the open end of slot 32 (to the left in FIG. 3).

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 10, located below front plate 25 is a horizontally disposed bar 107 upwardly from which project pins 30, fixedly secured to bar 107. Extending through bar 107 are a pair of plunger pins 108, 109 each of which also extends through the horizontal flange of an L-shaped bracket 110, a pair of which are situated below opposite ends of bar 107. Surrounding pins 108 and 109 are springs 111 having oppositeends abutting the bottom of bar 107 and the top of bracket 110 respectively, and normally urging bar 107 upwardly. When press plate 31 moves downwardly it engages pins 108, 109, causing bar 107 to move downwardly which in turn causes the pins 30 attached thereto to move to depressed positions below the top of plate 25. The bar and the pins are retained in this depressed position by dogs 113 which are gravity urged from their rest positions, illustrated by the full line in FIG. 10, to the holding positions illustrated in the dash-dot lines in FIG. 10, wherein the tops of the dogs abut against the bottom or front plate 25, thereby preventing bar 107 from returning upwardly in response to the urging of springs 111. After the bonded bolts of textile material have been removed from the apparatus bar 107 may be returned to its normal raised position, wherein the pins extend upwardly through the top of plate 25, merely by manually manipulating dogs 113 back to the position shown in the full lines in FIG. 10.

The downward movement of press plate 31 also actuates mechanism to return inverted table 24 to its normal univerted position. More specifically, pin 108 extends further downward than does pin 109 and terminates in a coupling 114 disposed above the plunger 115 of a switch 116 mounted on lower front plate 42. When plate 31 presses pin 108 downwardly, coupling 114 pushes plunger 115 downwardly. Downward movement of plunger 115 closes switch 116 causing air to be introduced into pneumatic cylinder 93 (FIGS. 1 and so as to cause its piston rod and the attached gear rack 95 to move downwardly, thereby rotating the gear 96 in a direction which causes the inverted table 24 to return to its normal horizontal position (FIG. 4).

Plate 31 returns upwardly at the end of a predetermined time (e.g. 2 or 3 seconds) measured by a timer (not shown) actuated when table 24 initially rotates to its inverted position and releases plunger 102 on switch 101. Closing of switch 101 starts the timer. At the end of the predetermined time, air is automatically introduced into pneumatic cylinders 104 so as to cause the piston therein to move upwardly thereby raising heated press plate 31 to its normal rest position where it is maintained until the apparatus is recycled. Press plate 31 is heated by a heating element 118 attached atop the plate at its left end as seen in FIG. 10. Front plate 25 is heated by an elongated heating element 117 located alongside lower front channel 41 below plate 25 and extending from a box 119 located on channel 41 above switch 116. Each of the heating elements 117, 118 has a thermostat (not shown) attached thereto. The temperature of press plate 31 is usually maintained about 500 F., while the temperature of front plate 25 is usually maintained somewhat lower, at about 150 F., because plate 25 is touched by the hands of the operator while he is mounting the bolt of textile material thereon. Table 25 has a plastic cover 120 (FIG. 6), such as Teflon, which is provided to facilitate cleaning of adhesive accumulating on the table top. The top of tables 23, 24 may also be provided with plastic covers for the same purposes as specified above, if desired.

As previously indicated, the above described movements of invertible table 24 and press plate 31 are initiated when the moving assembly approaches its rest position adjacent pillar 21. Referring to FIG. 9, when the moving assembly reaches the rest position, repetition of the apparatus cycle of operation is prevented by the engagement of cam element 91 with a roller 121 on the arm 122 of a cut-off switch attached to channel 41, said engagement causing the de-energization of drive motor 50 and the stoppage of drive chain 51.

As the moving assembly reaches its rest position a hub portion 127 on rear trimming knife 27 (FIG. 7) engages an upwardly extending arm 123 on a bell-crank lever pivoted on a pin 124 to lower rear beam 38 and normally gravity biased to the position shown in the solid lines in FIG. 7. This engagement causes the bellcrank lever to pivot about pin 124 to the position shown in the dash-dot lines in FIG. 7, said pivoting raising the other lever arm 126 to which is attached a Water-containing receptacle 125 which moves up into a position enclosing the nozzles 78 on adhesive dispenser 28, thereby preventing the adhesive in the nozzles from drying.

Thus, in summary, the subject apparatus receives and mounts a pair of textile bolts (FIG. 11), trims the frayed edges from the bolts (FIG. 12), applies adhesive to the top of the rear bolt (FIG. 13), inverts the rear bolt to a position in which the adhesive covered portion thereof overlies the trimmed front bolt (FIG. 14), and presses the two bolts together to adhesively bond them (FIG. 15).

It is to be understood that the specific embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings and described above is merely illustrative of one of the many forms which the invention may take in practice without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for splicing together the lateral ends of two bolts of textile material to make a longer bolt, said apparatus comprising a pair of tables, means for mounting each of said ends in a predetermined position in which each end extends across a respective one of said tables, said means for mounting one of said ends comprising an additional table and means on said additional table for detachably engaging said one end, means for applying adhesive to a first of said ends while mounted across its respective table, means for moving said one of said ends from said predetermined position into a substantially facing relation with the other of said ends following said application of adhesive, said end-moving means comprising means mounting the additional table for movement between a first position alongside the one table across which said one end is initially mounted and a second partially inverted position extending above the other table across which said other end is mounted, and means for pressing said facing ends together to adhesivcly bond the moved end to the other.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 and comprising means for directing an air jet against said one end when the latter is in the partially inverted position to facilitate said pressing of the two ends together.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 and comprising an open-end slot extending between said additional table and said other table, said slot including means for receiving that portion of the corresponding textile bolt adjacent said one end, said open-end in the slot permitting the removal of said spliced textile ends from the apparatus.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 and including cutting means for trimming any frayed edge portions of said lateral ends of said bolts prior to applying adhesive to and splicing said lateral ends, said cutting means comprising a rotary knife, means mounting said knife for movement alongside a respective one of said tables, and means for imparting said movement to the knife to trim the end mounted across said one table.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said adhesive applying means comprises means actuable to dispense adhesive, means mounting said dispensing means for movement across one of said tables, means for imparting said movement to the dispensing means, and

means responsive to the presence of textile material on the table for actuating said dispensing means.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim wherein said actuating means includes an electric eye energizeable to sense the presence of textile material on said table, and switch means operable in response to the movement of said dispensing means for energizing said electric eye.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said pressing means comprises a plate located above the table mounting said other textile end, means mounting said.

plate for movement between raised and lowered positions, means normally maintaining said plate in said raised position, and means for moving said plate plate to said lowered position following said movement of the one textile end to said facing position, said one textile end extending beneath said plate when the former is in its facing position.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the means for mounting said other textile end on its table comprises a plurality of holes extending through said table, a plurality of pointed pins each in alignment with a respective one of said holes, means mounting said pins for movement between engaging positions in which the pins extend through the table surface across which said other textile end is mounted and non-engaging positions in which the pins are recessed in said holes below said table surface, and means normally urging said pins toward their engaging positions, said apparatus further comprising means for moving said pins to said nonengaging positions in response to movement of said plate to its lowered position, and means for retaining the pins in their non-engaging positions when the plate is returned to its raised position, thereby permitting the spliced ends to be removed from said table.

9. An apparatus for splicing together the lateral ends of two bolts of textile material to make a longer bolt, said apparatus comprising three slabs, means on a first of said slabs for detachably mounting a first of said ends across said first slab, means on a second of said slabs for detachably mounting a second of said ends across said second slab and the third of said slabs, a pair of textile trimmers, means mounting a first of said trimmers for reciprocal movement alongside said first slab to trim said first mounted end, means mounting the second of said trimmers for reciprocal movement alongside said third slab to trim said second mounted end, an adhesive dispenser, means mounting said adhesive dispenser for reciprocal movement across one of said mounted textile ends, means for imparting said reciprocal movement to said trimmers and said dispenser, means mounting said second slab for pivotal movement between a first position alongside said third slab and a second partially inverted position above said first slab, said mounted textile ends being in substantially facing relation when the second slab is in said second position, means responsive to the conclusion of said reciprocal movement by the dispenser for imparting said pivotal movement to the second slab, a pressure member located above the first slab, means for heating said pressure member, means mounting said pressure member for movement between raised and lowered positions, means normally maintaining said pres sure member in said raised position, and means responsive to said movement of the second slab to its second position for moving the pressure member to said lowered position.

1O. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 and comprising means connecting said trimmers and said dispenser for movement as a unitary assembly, means for preventing rotation of said assembly about a vertical axis, and means for preventing rotation of said assembly about a horizontal axis.

11. An apparatus for splicing together the lateral ends of two bolts of textile material to make a longer bolt, said apparatus comprising a pair of tables, means for mounting each of said ends in a predetermined position in which each end extends across a respective one of said tables, means for applying adhesive to a first of said ends while mounted across its respective table, means for moving one of said ends from said predetermined position to a position in substantially facing relation with the other of said ends following said application of adhesive, means for pressing said facing ends together to ad-hesively bond the move-d end to the other, said adhesive applying means comprising means actuable to dispense adhesive, means mounting said dispensing means for movement across one of said tables, means for imparting said movement to the dispensing means, means responsiveto the presence of textile material on the table for actuating said dispensing means, said dispensing means comprising a nozzle and said mounting means comprising means mounting the dispensing means for reciprocal movement from a rest position longitudinally across said one table and then back to said rest position, said apparatus further comprising a water receptacle, means mounting said receptacle for movement between a first position for immersibly containing said nozzle when the dispensing means is in said rest position, and a second noncontaining position, means normally urging said receptacle to its second position, and means responsive to movement of the dispensing means to its rest position for moving the receptacle to its first position and responsive to the presence of said dispensing means in its rest position for maintaining the receptacle in its first position.

l2. An apparatus for splicing together the lateral ends of two bolts of textile material to make a longer bolt, said apparatus comprising a first table in fixed position, and a second table mounted for rotational movement in a plane transverse to the plane of said first table; mechanical holding means for mounting each of said ends in a predetermined position in which each of said ends extends across a respective one of said tables; automatically actuated adhesive dispensing and applying means for applying adhesive to either one of said ends while said end is mounted across its respective table; sequentially actuated mechanical means automatically operative to move one of said ends from said predetermined position to a second position in which a surface of said one of said ends substantially overlies and faces a cooperating surface of the other of said ends after application of adhesive to either one of said ends, whereby said adhesive is disposed between corresponding facing surfaces of said overlying ends; and mechanical pressing means subsequently automatically operable and mounted for vertical movement and movable toward said overlying facing surfaces of said ends to press said ends together to adhesively bond said corresponding facing surfaces of said ends.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Nelson Sept. 19, 196 1 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR SPLICING TOGETHER THE LATERAL ENDS OF TWO BOLTS OF TEXTILE MATERIAL TO MAKE A LONGER BOLT, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A PAIR OF TABLES, MEANS FOR MOUNTING EACH OF SAID ENDS IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION IN WHICH EACH END EXTENDS ACROSS A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID TABLES, SAID MEANS FOR MOUNTING ONE OF SAID ENDS COMPRISING AN ADDITIONAL TABLE AND MEANS ON SAID ADDITIONAL TABLE FOR DETACHABLY ENGAGING SAID ONE END, MEANS FOR APPLYING ADHESIVE TO A FIRST OF SAID ENDS WHILE MOUNTED ACROSS ITS RESPECTIVE TABLE, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID ONE OF SAID ENDS FROM SAID PREDETERMINED POSITION INTO A SUBSTANTIALLY FACING RELATION WITH THE OTHER OF SAID ENDS FOLLOWING SAID APPLICATION OF ADHESIVE, SAID END-MOVING MEANS COMPRISING MEANS MOUNTING THE ADDITIONAL TABLE 